Woman Lost In The Woods Used Three Words To Get Rescuers Racing To Her Location

Woman lost in the woods used three words to get rescuers racing to her location. As much as people complain about our collective addiction to our devices, most of us enjoy the security that constant connection provides. With help just a button press away, we're used to feeling safe. But we are often more vulnerable than we think. During the summer of 2019, three British mates stepped outside for a bit of fresh air. It was all fun and games until they realized they'd wandered into a deadly trap. With time running out, the adventurers scrambled to come up with a way to survive. Their only hope was three words. Statues of fantastical creatures dotted the 5,000 acres of hamsterly forest. For families who visited the sprawling woodland, these figures were fun to spot. But for three hikers, these grinning sculptures became a source of torment. At 24 years old, Jess Tinsley heard glowing reviews of the forest and organized a little expedition. She invited her boyfriend, Kieran Parkinson, and their pal, Dan Curry, for a little Sunday evening stroll. She wasn't at all concerned about the setting sun. None of them had ever set foot in Hamsterly before, but since they were following a marked trail, the trio didn't fret about covering unfamiliar ground. Besides, the views all around the dense forest were spectacular. Jess, Kieran, and Dan knew that the trail would loop back to the parking lot. After two hours of hiking, however, they seemed to be as deep in the woods as ever. Was it possible they made a wrong turn somewhere? Turning around seemed like a dismal option. Plus, it wasn't like they could follow a trail of breadcrumbs back to their car. Jess and her companions decided to venture on. And on. And on. With another hour passing by, Jess had to fight back. They had to find their way back soon. Or they faced the very real possibility of getting stuck in the wilderness. Then a large marker ahead caught her eye. Rushing toward the sign, the three hikers realized what they'd gotten into. They somehow entered the 12-mile route by mistake. And though the placard included a small map, it didn't indicate exactly where they were on the trail. That was bad news. Potentially, the three friends still had hours of walking ahead of them as the sunlight faded to black. The limited visibility showed that ugly gray clouds were rolling in, bringing a storm that they could not afford. The imminent weather convinced Jess that they needed help. She dialed 101, the emergency number in the United Kingdom. But her phone just rang and rang. Taking a closer look, she found that she had no signal. Jess felt sick. They wandered straight into the heart of a strange forest, and they had nobody to help them. She consulted Dan and Kieran about whether they'd have to find or build some sort of shelter. But with none of them being much of a survivor type, the hikers chose to keep moving. Tired out by hours of trudging, they made slow progress. Jess despaired that their car was still nowhere in sight. However, she noticed her phone regained a weak signal. They had to try 101 again. It was their only hope. This time, Jess gasped when she got through. The emergency operator asked for their location, but none of the hikers had any specific idea of where on the trail they were. While looking around for identifiable landmarks, the operator asked Jess if she had the What3Words app. Why was 101 bringing small talk all of a sudden? The hikers had never heard of it before, but received instructions to download it immediately. The comm operator explained that it could help pinpoint their location. By entering three random words, Jess could mark their group on a nine-square-meter portion of a global map. Notwithstanding any glitches, What3Words could send a rescue team their way. After adding the app to her phone, Jess's mind went blank. Supposedly, any three unique words would do the trick, so she just entered the first one she could think of. She typed in, kicked, converged, soccer. The 101 line thanked Jess and told the hikers to hold their position. They could hardly believe that this rinky-dink phone app was the big solution to their plight. Ultimately, they couldn't do much more than comply and try to keep warm. Over an hour passed since the 101 call, and the cavalry had yet to arrive. The hikers started to lose hope. Kicked, converged, soccer. Would those three words save them, or just be the epigraph on their tombstones? Moments before the trio considered moving again, they spotted headlights through the trees. The rescue team finally arrived. It took 90 minutes, but the emergency responders got to the exact spot where Jess plugged in her three words. Once she, Karen, and Dan got warmed up and hydrated, they tearfully thanked their rescuers. They also swore they'd recommend what three words. Without that app, it was likely they'd never have found their way out of Hamsterly Alive. Other unfortunate adventures had gone through far worse. Tina Hines thought she had a perfect life, and few people could argue with her. She had a loving marriage of 30 years, kids who loved her, and a healthy routine each day. But Tina had no idea she was a few heartbeats away from losing it all. February 12, 2018 will always go down as the darkest day in the history of the Hines family. On that day, Tina and her husband Brian decided to take a leisurely hike just outside of Phoenix. The first leg provided everything they could have hoped for. Fresh air, sunshine, blood pumping through their veins. Their pleasant afternoon took a turn, however, when Brian heard a thud behind him. Whirling around, he saw his beloved Tina fall to the ground. She wasn't breathing. How could something like this happen to someone as wonderful and healthy as Tina? Brian called emergency services and prayed for a miracle. When a team of firefighters arrived at the scene, even they were spooked. The victim in question looked less than lively. They didn't hold out much hope, but still performed CPR on their drive over to the hospital. Unfortunately, they couldn't administer it fast enough. Before they could reach the emergency room, Tina's heart stopped. All signs of life were gone, but the firemen still had one more trick up their sleeves. Brandishing a defibrillator, one of them restarted Tina's heart. She came back, but only for a few minutes. When her heart stopped for a second time, they brought her back. Then, Tina flatlined for a third time. Tina was barely clinging to life when she entered the doors. Even the most seasoned doctors looked down at her in shock. The woman's heart stopped two more times. By the fifth resuscitation, she'd been dead for a total of 27 minutes. After another shock from the defibrillator, the medical staff expected Tina's heart rate to flatline again. Surprisingly, she remained stable. And yet, when she came two hours later, the heart attack victim seemed incredibly serene. In a weakened state, Tina couldn't speak. But when she gestured for a nearby pen and paper, her loved ones realized that she had something important to share. They placed the materials by her side. The Hines family watched in amazement as Tina scrawled out a message on the page. They could make out a couple of letters here and there, but they couldn't piece together what she meant. As Tina regained her strength, she told them what she was trying to write. It's real, she explained. Puzzled, Brian asked what she was referring to. It was then that Tina described how she saw heaven. It was so real. The colors were so vibrant, she recalled. When she was flatlined, Tina told her family that she witnessed the afterlife, in the most ideal sense. There were the pearly gates, the bright lights in the sky. Also, she wasn't alone. As Tina's vision became more clear, Jesus himself appeared in front of the heavenly gates. Shining brightly, he was a welcoming presence. When Tina woke up, she was more sure of her faith than ever. She knew in her heart, now beating strongly by the way, that it was nothing short of a miracle. The Hines family, coming so close to losing Tina, couldn't help but agree with her. Mady Johnson, Tina's niece, felt particularly moved by the story. She came up with a permanent way to commemorate her family's incredible highs and lows. Inspired by the spiritual message from the hospital, Mady had Tina's handwriting tattooed on her wrist. She explained that the ink has given me a tangibleness to an eternal hope that is not too far away. As elated as she was to get a glimpse of heaven, Tina also wanted to thank the brave men who saved her. Smiles were all around when she and Brian stopped by the firehouse to show off their dramatic recovery. Naysayers claim that Tina only imagined the afterlife, but that doesn't bother her. This lucky wife and mother is simply glad to get a second chance at life. No matter if you're a devout believer or a born skeptic, a brush with disaster will permanently change your outlook. Tina certainly isn't alone. Angela Hernandez lived in Oregon, but she missed her family down in Southern California. One weekend in July, she decided it would be nice to visit them. It was almost the last choice she ever made. It was a beautiful day when she set out from Portland in her white Jeep Patriot. Angela had only the hundreds and hundreds of miles of highway ahead to keep her company. It was a long drive, but at least the trip would offer some breathtaking views along the way. Angela could put her camera to good use. The most beautiful and dangerous part of the drive came when Angela passed through the Big Sur. The highway ran alongside the California coast, with the Pacific Ocean only a cliffside away. Angela only remembered fragments of what happened next. The only thing that's clear was that a small animal darted into the middle of the winding road. She swerved to avoid it. She lost consciousness as her car tore through the guardrail and plummeted 250 feet to the ocean below. It began to sink. Could anyone survive such a crash? When Angela awoke, water already filled up her vehicle, up to her knees. And its level was rising. She grabbed a multi-tool she kept inside, smashing through the side window and crawled out to the beach. Bloody and battered, she rolled over to the shore. She sustained injuries all over her body, and her shoes went missing. Her feet ached as she clambered up the rocks to escape the incoming tide and get some rest. Once Angela got her bearings, she saw that there was no way back up to the highway, or even a clear path along the beach. She needed to signal for help, but first she had more pressing needs. Incredible thirst overtook her, so Angela rummaged through her washed-up car for supplies. She came across a black hose that had fallen out and figured it could be useful. She then found a mossy rock on the cliffside that dropped a bead of water every couple seconds. Angela attached one end of the hose to the rock and drank. Angela spent hours trying to flag down a car from the road above, but she was too far down and the cars were going too fast. Days passed by. Of course, police were searching for Angela after her family reported that she never showed up. But with so much ground to cover along the California coast, it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. The week after the crash, Chad and Chelsea Moore were hiking along the coast when they noticed something strange at the base of the cliff. It appeared to be a wrecked car. They found their way down to the beach to investigate. Chad and Chelsea were busy gathering items that must have come from the car when they heard a cry for help. They ran over to some nearby rocks where they found Angela. The week, she was still alive. Cell service wasn't great in the Big Sur, but Chad and Chelsea were, fortunately, able to reach emergency services. They stayed with her and did what they could until a medical team arrived. After first responders airlifted Angela to a nearby hospital, they worked to haul the debris up the cliff by crane. Although the first cable snapped, they managed to lift the Jeep back up. All told, Angela endured a brain hemorrhage, four broken ribs, a shattered collarbone, a collapsed lung, and ruptured blood vessels in both eyes. Lucky for her, she made a full recovery. Angela now feels like she has a new lease on life, and she has held on to various items from her car to remind herself how blessed she is. Not many other people would have survived the crash, let alone lasted on the beach for a week Angela says that the incident convinced her that there is indeed a bigger purpose in her life. She makes sure to save her every moment and spends as much time possible with the one she loves.